The World Cup Weblog - Feb. 11- Feb. 17

Monday, February 17, 2003:::

Forget the crackers; Polly wants his money
Just two days before the World Cup started, South African captain Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher and Jonty Rhodes were haggling with their bosses over money and commercial rights.
Source: Allafrica.com

Bowling them over
America-based Time magazine avers that with terms like "bowling a maiden over" populating the lexicon, is it any wonder that cricket is not a global game? (Of course, fly-balls, pigskins and running-backs are all such logically derived terms.)
Source: Time, Europe

Beauty runs just spin-deep
It was not only his mum, it appears. Shane Warne has revealed that it was also a challenge from Brett Lee that not only led him to the by-now-famous pill, but also to cut out butter from his baked-beans-on-toast.
Source: Bathhurst Western Advocate, Australia

Dobber expects sledge hammering

Graeme Smith, the South African batsman who tipped the bucket on Australia's sledging tactics, is bracing himself for hostile retribution when the two sides meet in the World Cup.
Source: The Australian, Australia

posted at 9:57 a.m. IST

Sunday, February 16, 2003:::

Fans protest outside Ganguly's home
Sometimes a nation being passionate about a sport can be a bad thing. Especially when, like yesterday, people gather outside the captain's house and shout obscenities.
Source: Rediff.com

The travails of following cricket in America
To be a cricket fan in America while the World Cup is going on is akin to being a wine enthusiast marooned at a tee-totalers' convention the day the Beaujolais Nouveau is uncorked, as Shashi Tharoor finds out.
Source: Newsweek on MSNBC.com

Come and watch, but don't bring a Coke
Gaining entry to matches at the eighth World Cup has become something of an art form on the rare occasions that it is not a nightmare. Authentic accreditation is obviously essential, but it is advisable to take little else apart from what you are wearing.
Source: The Independent, UK

posted at 2:16 p.m. IST

Saturday, February 15, 2003:::

The mystery ball awaits the Aussies
He's taunted the Australians plenty already, but it appears that Harbhajan Singh has not had enough. Which is why he has a "mystery ball" all ready to unleash against Australia at the SuperSport Park.
Source: Mid-Day, India

Over and out for Bangladesh
The reason that Bangladesh too should have been allowed to plant a tree at Pietermaritzburg, as revealed by Martin Johnson.
Source: The Daily Telegraph, UK

Van Bunge gives Dutch hope of deepening English gloom
The Englash sporting equivalent to losing against Australia at football is to be defeated by the Netherlands at cricket. Tomorrow in the weary old South African seaside resort of East London - imagine a run-down version of Morecambe - this has a chance of coming to pass.
Source: The Independent, UK

posted at 1:17 p.m. IST

Friday, February 14, 2003:::

Sonn urged to apologise for hs behaviour
The India-Netherlands match was apparently so boring for UCBSA president Percy Sonn that he got very drunk, anchored himself against the rails of his suite, and used "crude language" towards guests.
Source: The Natal Witness, South Africa

"It would be nice to write about cricket"
That is what cricket journalists - who perhaps envisioned languid days in the sun with a laptop, watching Lara and Tendulkar make tons of runs - are saying after more World Cup controversies than you can shake a stick at.
Source: The Independent Online, South Africa

Another World Cup is hotting up
Where does the biryani win a one-day contest for India against the Sri Lankan lentils? Only in the BBC's Food World Cup, where the competition is always close to boiling point.
Source: The BBC, UK

posted at 12:39 p.m. IST

Thursday, February 13, 2003:::

Jonty's broken dream
Playing in what he has declared is last international cricket tournament, Jonty Rhodes fractured his little finger against Kenya, a fact that may deprive the crowds of seeing the world's greatest fielder in action for a final hurrah.
Source: The Star, South Africa

Risky pill to swallow
A diamond-shaped apricot-coloured pill is all it took to plunge the stellar career of spin-king Shane Warne into a nosedive. Get all the dope on Moduretic, a quick-fix weight-loss aid.
Source: The Australian, Australia

All that's missing now is a sex scandal
The only thing missing from the 2003 cricket World Cup is a good old sex scandal. Thus far it has had political posturing, death threats, drugs and on Wednesday, the spectre of racism finally raised its ugly head.
Source: The Independent Online, South Africa

posted at 12:03 p.m. IST

Wednesday, February 12, 2003:::

Spin doctors on call
The irony of the drugs bust as far as Shane Warne is concerned is that although he might be innocent this time around, it might prove to be the final nail in his cricketing coffin.
Source:Daily Telegraph, Australia

Pakistani cinema banks on cricket
Faced with a slump in business, cinema houses in Peshawar in Pakistan have jumped on the World Cup bandwagon, telecasting matches on their mega screens.
Source: BBC

Lloyd admits to sympathy for Lehmann
Clive Lloyd has admitted that he feels sorry for Darren Lehmann, who missed Australia's World Cup opener against Pakistan following a five-match ODI ban imposed by the former.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

Britain, Australia using cricket to demonise Zimbabwe - Mbeki
South African president Thabo Mbeki has come down heavily on the campaign to get the matches in Zimbabwe shifted, questioning the rationale behind it all.
Source:Inter Press News Service Agency, Uruguay

posted at 11:59 a.m. IST

Tuesday, February 11, 2003:::

The day cricket finally made a stand
Simon Barnes salutes the courageous gesture of Andy Flower and Henry Olonga which saw them take the field against Namibia wearing black arm-bands in protest against the death of democracy in their country.
Source: The Times, UK

Exams vs cricket, snap goes cable
The clash between studies and the World Cup of cricket is hotting up and worried parents are understandably snapping cable connections.
Source: The Indian Express, India

Stumped! TN cricket fans fret as cable operators up charges
Cable operators in Chennai seem to have decided that the World Cup is the right time to do some serious arm-twisting with their subcribers.
Source:The Financial Express, India

posted at 1:42 p.m. IST